Forums

Posted: 17-05-2013 20:07 Post subject:

In a word: 'Idiocracy'.

Posted: 15-06-2013 15:36 Post subject:

The Soylent Corporation now actually exists:

https://campaign.soylent.me/soylent-free-your-body

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/21/soylent_food_replacement/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/14/soylent_experiment/

No mention of what it's made from anywhere on their website (and there's a laughable video presented by the po-faced founders)...but I can guess what's in it...

Edit: I've lived on 'food' like this before (Cambridge Diet). After 6 weeks on that, I craved real food. The taste of those milk shakes almost made me sick by the end of the 6 weeks, and I'd almost forgotten what sugar tasted like.

Posted: 05-07-2013 10:11 Post subject:

Here we go again...

300 homes on Falmouth farmland given green light

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/10526917.300_homes_on_Falmouth_farmland_given_green_light/?ref=mr

No mention of where these new home-owners will find work to pay their mortgages. The economic situation is still pretty dodgy, despite some recent glimmers of hope for improvement. Unemployment is pretty high down here, and a lot of jobs are only seasonal and low-paid anyway.

The general feeling is that Cornwall council have pushed this through against the opposition of the concerned local councils:
http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/lettersandcomment/readerswrite/10526519.Development_of_300_houses_at_Bickland_and_Kergilliack_shows_contempt_for_councils/

Posted: 05-07-2013 12:07 Post subject:

Posted: 05-07-2013 12:34 Post subject:

A bit much to call it an apocalypse but it very likely is unsustainable development.

Posted: 05-07-2013 13:30 Post subject:

Posted: 05-07-2013 14:12 Post subject:

Posted: 05-07-2013 14:36 Post subject:

Posted: 05-07-2013 15:05 Post subject:

Posted: 05-07-2013 15:17 Post subject:

Posted: 05-07-2013 15:19 Post subject:

Posted: 06-07-2013 01:52 Post subject:

The Wickerman style locals & the pixies will make short work of incomers.

Posted: 12-07-2013 08:10 Post subject:

For some reason, this BBC piece from October 2011 has leaped to the top of the Most Popular list!

The world at seven billion
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15391515

But the widgets to calculate your place in the great scheme of things still work, so it's worth highlighting again for those who may have missed it first time around.

My results:

When you were born, you were the:
2,418,906,506th
person alive on Earth

[and the]
75,252,229,081st
person to have lived since history began

Frightening how my 2.4 billionth position compares with the world population of 7 billion today. That means that during my lifetime, 4.6 billion more people were born than have died in the same period. Shocked

Posted: 16-07-2013 09:04 Post subject:

This article could go in other threads, but I'm putting it here because I think it poses the question,"Does society have more people than it needs?"

Third of young unemployed 'rarely leave house'
By Sean Coughlan, BBC News education correspondent

Many young unemployed people feel marginalised, pessimistic and lacking in control over their lives, claims a survey by the UCU lecturers' union.
The survey of youngsters not in education, employment or training - so-called Neets - found a third had experienced depression and more than a third "rarely left the house".

The poll examined views of some 1,000 youngsters aged 16-24 across the UK.
The UCU's Simon Renton said it showed the "personal impact" of unemployment.

There are about 900,000 young people classified as being Neet and the lecturers' union survey provides an insight into how they see their circumstances.
It reveals that many feel isolated and are lacking in confidence - 40% feel they are not part of society, 36% believe they will never have a chance of getting a job.
One third have suffered depression, 37% rarely go outside the house and 39% suffer from stress.

There has been a long-term problem with youth unemployment, particularly for youngsters who have left school with poor qualifications.
A study earlier this year found there were now more jobs in the UK which required a degree than were available for those without any qualifications.

Toni Pearce, president of the National Union of Students (NUS), said: "Long periods out of work or education not only have a devastating impact on individuals both in terms of their immediate health and well-being but have knock-on effects for the rest of their lives."

Mr Renton, the UCU's president, said: "It is truly heartbreaking to see so many people who want to contribute more to society but are left feeling their outlook is desperate and hopeless.
"The individual human tragedy is only part of the story as young people outside education or work cost the country millions of pounds every year. We need to give our young people a commitment of proper guidance and stable, properly rewarded jobs, or educational opportunities."

A government spokeswoman said: "Being out of work or education can be an enormous waste of a young person's potential.
"To tackle the problem the government is funding a place in education or training for every 16 and 17 year old who wants one, raising the participation age to 18, and investing in quality traineeships and apprenticeships."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-23315438

It seems likely that increasing automation and robotics will only reduce the relative size of the job pool still more. Perhaps the apathy and depression created will prove a way of restricting population growth that Malthus never thought of... (A sad way, admittedly, but then there's nothing cheerful about war, famine or disease either.)

Posted: 08-08-2013 21:18 Post subject:

More UK births than any year since 1972, says ONS

More babies were born in the UK in 2011-12 than any year since 1972, the Office for National Statistics says.
In all, 813,200 UK births were recorded in the year, said the ONS, contributing to population growth that was, in absolute terms, the highest in the EU.
UK population grew by 419,900 to 63.7 million between between June 2011 and June 2012, according to ONS estimates.

There were 254,400 more births than deaths and 165,600 more people coming to the UK than leaving.
The UK remains the third-most populous EU member state, behind Germany and France.

France's population grew by 319,100 to 65,480,500 over the same period while Germany's went up by 166,200 to 80,399,300, says the ONS.

There were 517,800 migrants from overseas while 352,100 people left the country, putting net migration at 165,600.

The mid-2012 populations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are now estimated to have been 53.5 million, 5.3 million, 3.1 million, and 1.8 million respectively.

London's population has surged by 104,000, with high birth and immigration rates.
Together London, south-east and east England accounted for 53% of growth across the UK in the year while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland jointly accounted for 8%.

More than 51,000 people moved out of London, largely to the South East and East of England, the ONS data shows.

London recorded net international migration of 69,000 - the highest of all regions. Northern Ireland had the lowest net migration growth of about 400, the ONS said.

The capital also recorded 86,000 more births than deaths in the past year, while Scotland notched up 4,200 more births than deaths.

Alp Mehmet, of campaign group Migration Watch, claimed that immigration was "the main driver of population growth in the UK".
Mr Mehmet highlighted earlier ONS data which showed babies born to foreign born mothers "now account for over a quarter of the total while births to UK born mothers are remaining static".
"These figures have a significant bearing on future needs like school places and housing as well as services," he said.
"This is why the government has to stay the course in its efforts to bring immigration under control."

But some economists argue that there are advantages in having more children.
Jonathan Portes, director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, said: "The medium to long-term benefits are substantial.
"The people who are being born now or the immigrants who are coming here now will help pay for our pensions and public services in the future."

A Home Office spokesman said: "Net migration is now at its lowest level for a decade showing we are continuing to bring immigration back under control.
"We will continue to work hard to bring net migration down from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands by the end of this Parliament."

Royal College of Midwives chief executive Cathy Warwick said the high number of births was putting "considerable pressures on maternity services and we are struggling to provide high quality antenatal and postnatal care".
She said: "England remains around 5,000 midwives short of the number required to provide mothers and babies with the high-quality service they need and deserve.
"Maternity care is the earliest health intervention of all and getting care right for mothers and babies is a vital part of supporting families and building a foundation for good health in later life."

In January, Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter said there had been a "historical shortage" of midwives but he added: "The number of midwives is increasing faster than the birth rate."

There were 581,800 more children aged six and under in the UK in mid-2012 than in mid-2001.

But because of lower birth numbers around the turn of the millennium, the number of seven to 16-year-olds is 453,300 less than mid-2001.

At the other end of the population tree, the number of men aged 75 and over has increased by 26%, since mid-2001 compared with a 6% increase for women.
The ONS put this down to positive changes in male smoking habits and advances in health treatments for circulatory illnesses.
Male occupations over the same period have also become less physical and safer, it said.

Separately, the ONS has also released data showing that four million homes in the UK are still not connected to the internet.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23618487

Sidebar and Table also on page.